Do you think Indy will ever get Mass Transit?
Saw this story on WTHR, do you think Indy will catch up with the rest of the big cities and implement mass transit anytime in the next decade???
http://www.wthr.com/Global/story...211
IndyGo to start express service to Greenwood
Updated: March 10, 2008 05:41 PM Kris Kirschner/Eyewitness News
Greenwood - The success of IndyGo's Express commuter service to the north may be headed to the south side.
IndyGo provides rides to and from downtown from Fishers to help ease congestion. More than 26,000 riders have used the service since it started four months ago. Johnson County residents may soon get the same option to park and ride, which is welcome news for some Greenwood residents who already use IndyGo to get to work, as well as for those looking for work.
"I think it'd be wonderful," said IndyGo rider Lorraine Craft. "There are a lot of people that need the bus system."
Rising prices at the pump also make the service an attractive option.
"It's very convenient and would save on gas, insurance, all that. Very nice," said rider Pam Woody.
The express service in Fishers started through a federal grant to help ease congestion and improve air quality. For a $2 one-way fare, passengers park and ride to and from six downtown locations. IndyGo considered routes in Lawrence and Hendricks County before settling on Greenwood, which they picked because of better access. Now, it's up to city officials to come up with twenty percent of the funding.
Greenwood City Council President Ron Deer believes the service will pay for itself.
"We have some predictions of ridership, and it's a possibility that our share could be covered by the ridership payments that people make for the farebox," Deer said.
"We use it every day for transportation," Woody said. "I feel Greenwood needs it. It's growing every day."
IndyGo will hold a public hearing to get input on the new express service at 7 p.m. on March 19 at the Greenwood City Building.
Carmel route starts Monday
In the meantime, a new express route in Carmel has already been approved and will begin on Monday.
The buses will depart from the Meijer store on Carmel Drive near U.S. 31, with the first one leaving at 6:15 a.m.
"This is an opportunity to provide our residents transportation alternatives for commuting to work while reducing the impact on our environment," said Jim Brainard, Mayor for the City of Carmel. "We appreciate the opportunity to partner with IndyGo in the new commuter service." AddThis Social Bookmark Button
the question is "how long has indianapolis needed mass transit?"
or
"how has the bus system changed since its inception??
or
"why cant i conveniently ride around this city easily on a bus or train?"
forget about growth, what about this city?
Christopher Lloyd : RE: Do you think Indy will ever get Mass Transit? More..
Part of the reason there isn't more of a call for an L-train or other mass transit is that our traffic isn't too bad for a city our size.
Sure, the I-69 corridor jams up every day. But seriously, go visit Atlanta or Chicago or Detroit or Cleveland around rush hour. Things move pretty smooth here.
Take my example: my 7-mile drive from Broad Ripple takes 20 minutes in rush hour. Even at today's inflated gas prices, that's only about $1.60 of gas (my car gets about 30 mpg). Even though there's an IndyGo stop literally at the end of my street, someone like me thinks, "Why should I pay $4 for a round trip that'll take twice as long?"
And thus the planet is doomed!
benjamindy : RE: Do you think Indy will ever get Mass Transit? More..
A long time ago Indy had a great train system. It's really too bad it was abandoned.. It could have easily co-existed with cars and buses.
Indianapolis needs SOMETHING, an improved IndyGo would be a great start and I love that the 'burbs are opening up to these express routes.
I would love to see a light rails on Washington, 16th, 38th, MLK, Keystone, Madison/East, Kentucky, Raymond and Southeastern with a loop downtown running the original mile square (North, East, South and West streets.)
i dont know that light rail is an answer. a bus system that works and is on time would be better.
i was listening to WIBC last week and the head of indygo was saying that ridership has increased incredibly with some lines that used to run at 30% capacity now running at 75% capacity. factor in $4 gas and yea, $3 for a round trip makes sense (sorry Chris, ride a bus sometime to learn the fares.)
also factor in parking, wear and tear on a car (potholes, accidents, weather) and its not that much of a change in price.
if someone lives on or near a major line (i too live a block away from the 17 college line) it only takes about 10 more minutes to arrive downtown. the problem lies in getting not from broad ripple to downtown (thanks radiohead!) its getting from irvingtong to speedway without losing half of your day. getting from castelton to foutntain square without having to deal with semis and grandmas.
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